Switch control for auxiliary devices



June 24, 1930. J. E. LONG swncn CONTROL FOR AUXILIARY DEVICES FiledApril 26, 1928 INVENTOR John E.

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Patented June 24, 1930 JOHN E. LONG, F MULTNOMAHyOREGON SWITCH CONTROLFOR AUXILIARY DEVICES Continuation of application Serial No.'212,75 5,filed August 13, 1927. This application iiled April 26;

1928. Serial My invention relates to control apparatus for electriccircuits generally, such as is described in United States re-issuedPatent No. 16,809, granted December 6, 1927, to myself and entitledElectric circuit control apparatus and is a continuationof the UnitedStates application filed August 13, 1927, by myself, Serial No. 212,755,and entitled Electric devices for display.

The principal object of my present application is to provide means forcontrolling an electric sign and auxiliary devices by the sameperforated control tape, the latter being provided with apertures of thesame size and spacing for. effecting such control,

thus adapting such tape to have all of the perforations made by the sameperforating machine, or instrumentality.

More specifically, the object of my inven= tion is to provide controlmeans of this character by which small, round, spaced perforations areadapted to produce a' continuous or a flash operation of such auxiliarydevices without the use of an alternating switch.

as spaced.

Such objects are attained by spacing the terminals in the controlapparatus with which such perforations register so that one or more ofthe perforations. in the com- 3 mon tape are in contact with theterminals for such auxiliary device at all times when the'controlperforations pass over such terminals even though the perforationsthemselves are quite small and relatively widely The principal advantagegained by a control of this character is'that small holes arranged inthe tape do not'wea'ken the latter unduly, and being relatively small,do not permit mercury or other electrically conducting fluid to passtherethru and force the tape away from the surface of the controlelement, which it slidingly engages.

The details of construction and the mode of operation of suchdevice arehereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings: inwhich,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of such control device;

Fig. 2 isa diagrammatic plan View of the terminals arranged in suchcontrol apparatus; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the control tape which makes-and-breaksconnection with such terminals.

My improved control apparatus comprisesa container 1 having one wallportion, preferably the bottom 2, made of insulating material in which anumber of terminals 3 are arranged in predetermined pattern. As shown inFig. 2, such terminals are arranged in a plurality of longitudinal'rowsand are uniformly spaced in such rows. The letters to be visibly shownupon the electric sign 4: are perforated upon the tape 5, as shown inFig. 3, in a manner similar to the terminal arrangement in the container1, and thus are adapted to register with th'e'terminals. r

Suchtape 5 preferably is arranged in end-. lessform, as'shown in Fig. 1,and operating devices v6 move the latter thru the container 1 tomake-and-break contact between such terminals 3 and the electricallyconductive liquid 1 within such container. Circuit is made thru battery7, wire 8, liquid 1*, a selected terminal 3, wire 9,electric light 10and return wire 11 to the battery 7. Reference is had to such re-issuepatent'as to further details of operation and construction.

When it is desired to operate auxiliary devices by such electric circuitcontrol apparatus without interfering with the main operation thereof,it is common to arrange perforations at the sides of thetape 5.

' Heretofore, the length of time which such auxiliary devices are to beactuated has been controlled by the longitudinal dimensions-of suchperforations, or if an alternating switch is used, by the spacingbetween successive perforations. The use ofperforations of substantialsize interferes with the operation of such electric circuit controlapparatusby permitting the electrically conductive liquid to enter thrusuch larger perforations and to lift the tape from the terminals. Theuse'of relatively large perforations also weakens such tape unduly thusrequiring such tape to be repaired or replaced frequently.

To effect the intermittent actuation of the auxiliary device 12, shownas a spotlight, I provide a series of spaced terminals 13 also arrangedin longitudinal rows, such rows 1 being spaced the same as the spacingbe- 12 can be effected by arranging alaterally.

' in the drawings.

tween rows of the terminals in the main body of such control apparatus.Such terminals 13 are connected in electrical'series and are spacedlongitudinally to overlap, although they are spaced apart relatively inalateral direction. p

Perforations 14, adapted to register with such rows of terminals, arearranged in lateral alinement jand thus one series of laterally alinedperforations will be in continuous contact with the terminals 13 for aninterval of time equal to the time required for the tape to pass onelongitudinal space between the terminalsin the rows. Theperforations 14are also adapted to be arranged in longitudinal spacing equal to that ofthe perforations in the main control and thus continuous operation ofthe auxiliarydevice alined series of perforations; 14 for eachlongitudinal space'of the tape. Corresponding intermittent connectionsmay be made by leaving some ofsuch spaces unperforated.

An alternative mode'of effecting such control is by providing a terminal15 elongated longitudinally of-the terminal pannel a dist-ance equal toor slightly in excess fof the longitudinal spacing of the terminals, and

, a single row of spaced perforations 16. This type of terminal isslightly disadvantageous in that when it is-desired to,flasl1 an aux:

iliary device 17, the minimum length of time ofsuch .flash isthe timenecessary for the tape to move one longitudinal space. In the firstdescribed modification a flash can be produced in the auxiliarydevicesofsuch length only as is necessary for a perforation to pass intoand'out of registration with its terminal, which is only one-half orone-third of the longitudinal space, as shown The series-connectedterminals 13 are connectcd to the auxiliary device 12 bya wire 18 andsuch device is connected to the bat .tery 7 by a wire 19. The auxiliarydevice .17 is connectedtoits-terminal 15 by a wire 20 and to the battery7 by a ire 21.

For manufacturingpurposes it'may some times be'desirableto make theterminals 15 ofa series of small round, contacts, such as the remainingcontacts, and have such c'Ontacts in electrical series witheach other.and

spaced .-apart :a distance different than that of the perforations andpreferably spaced lesser, distance. ,By making such terminal 15- in thismanner all of the fterminals can V be made .by boring round holeslthruthe botpass over such terminals.

tom 2 and inserting the ends of the wires 9 therein, as is shown in Fig.1.

I claim:

1. The combination with electric circuit controlling apparatus of thecharacter described comprising a container adapted to hold a body ofelectrical conductive liquid constituting one common terminal of aplurality of electric circuits, and a plurality of terminals, one ineach of such c1rcuits,embedded in one wall of such container, a tapelikecontrol element adapted to overlie such latter terminals and separatethem from such body of liquid, such control element being electricallynon-conductive and perforated in predetermined pattern to uncoversuchembedded terminals. when in re istration therewith thus to makecorres on ing electric circuits thru such liquid :ody, of a plurality ofauxiliary embedded terminals and registering perforations spaced apart adistance greater than 1311611" Width.

lengthwise of such tape, such latter terminals and perforations beingdifferently spaced, such. terminals being connected in electric seriesto permit uninterrupted'electrical connection .when such perforationspass over such terminals. 7

2.,The combination with electric "circuit controlling apparatus of thecharacter de scribed comprising a container adapted to hold a body ofelectrical conductive liquid constituting one common terminal of aplurality of electric-circuits, and a plurality of 7 terminals, one ineach of such circuits, em-' bedded in one wall of such container, atapelike control element adapted tooverlie such latter terminals andseparatethem from such body of liquid, such control element beingelectrically non-conductive and perforated in predetermined pattern to'uncover such embedded terminals when in registration therewith thus tomake corresponding electric circuitsthru such liquid body, ofapluralityof auxiliary embedded terminals and uniformly spacedregistering perforations tions' in the interrupter element being spacedat uniform intervals in the direction of such path to' produceintermittent electrical flow. thru such circuitswhensuch inlineal path,such terminals and the perforaterrupter is moved into and out ofregistration with such terminals, of an auxiliary electric circuitprovided with a plurality of terminals connected in electrical seriesadapted to be controlled by such interrupter and spaced in the directionof travel of such interrupter at intervals different than those of suchperforations in such interrupter thereby to produce continuous flow thrusuch auxiliary circuit, such terminals and perforations being arrangedso that at least one of such terminals is in registration with aperforation at all times.

4. In electric circuit controlling apparatus, the combination with apattern switch which controls a plurality of electric circuits havingindividual terminals located in such switch, which terminals are coveredand uncovered by a common perforated in terrupter element adapted totraverse a lineal path, such terminals and the perforations in theinterrupter element being spaced at uniform intervals in the directionof such path to produce intermittent electrical flow thru such. circuitswhen such interrupter is moved into and out of registration with suchterminals, of an auxiliary electric circuit provided with a plurality ofterminals adapted to register with perforations arranged at one side ofsuch interrupter element, connected in electrical series adapted to becontrolled by such interrupter, and spaced in the direction of travel ofsuch interrupter at intervals different than those of such perforationsin such interrupter thereby to produce continuous flow thru suchauxiliary circuit, such terminals and perforations being arranged sothat at least one of such terminals is in registration with aperforation at all times.

5. In electric circuit controlling apparatus, the combination with apattern switch which controls a plurality of electric circuits havingindividual terminals located in such switch, which terminals are coveredand uncovered by a common perforated interrupter element adapted totraverse a lineal path, such terminals and the perforations in theinterrupter element being spaced at uniform intervals in the directionof such path to produce intermittent electrical flow thru such circuitswhen such interrupter is moved into and out of registration with suchterminals, of an auxiliary electric circuit provided with a plurality ofterminals connected in electrical series adapted to be controlled bysuch interrupter and spaced relatively to produce continuous flow thrusuch auxiliary circuit, inasmuch as at least one of such terminals is inregistration with a perforation at all times.

6. In -electriccircuit controlling apparatus, the combination with apattern switch which controls a plurality of electric circuits havingindividual terminals located in such switch, which terminals are coveredand uncovered by a common perforated 1nterrupter element adapted totraverse a lins terval between adjacent perforations in the latterthereby to produce uniform flow thru such auxiliary circult when alinedw1th a series of perforatlons arranged at suflicient intervals. I

JOHN E. LONG.

